Central Christian Church Lampasas

INTRODUCTION

We have the most wealth of any nation in the history of the world. Everywhere there are supermarkets overflowing with food and other items. Everywhere are huge stores crammed with merchandise of all kinds surrounded by expansive parking lots. We have superhighways clogged with expensive vehicles to transport us. Where there is navigable water we find large marinas filled with luxurious boats of all types. We are told that we have more TVs, more cell phones, more computers, more elevators, more air conditioning, more private and commercial planes that any people on earth.

Into such a civilization the Son of God comes to speak ancient words of eternal wisdom.

Jesus’ statement was prompted by a dispute between brothers over an inheritance. The desire for money was creating a huge problem for this family. So Jesus’ points out that life does not consist in having many possessions.

Greed is an obstacle to spiritual growth. Covetousness puts spiritual blinders on people causing them to see only “stuff.” The disciples needed to learn the lesson that life is more important than material things. Jesus’ disciples therefore must learn not to be diverted from their commitment to Jesus by greed for wealth and material possessions.

We must avoid the tyranny of things, for what people own will not supply true peace and joy. True riches and satisfaction come only from God.

OUTLINE OF PASSAGE

I. STUFF DEMANDED 13-15.
II. STUFF DEPOSITED / RECEIVED, 16-19.
III. STUFF’S DISPOSAL, 20-21.

A disgruntled attendee in the crowd appeals to Jesus as the teacher, since he wanted Jesus to instruct his brother to divide up the inheritance which was due him in an equitable way. Apparently the regulations for inheritance cases (Num. 27:1-11; Deut. 21:15-17) were not being followed, in the opinion of the younger brother, who must wait on the older to share the family wealth.

Although ministry can all too often become mired in an attempt to right perceived wrongs, Jesus wisely said, “This is not My area of concern.” Jesus mission was too urgent, too important to be diverted to issues other men could settle. Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to each other.

Jesus’ purpose was not to make bad men good or good men better. His purpose was to make dead men live, to see people born again and brought into the kingdom. Jesus was out to heal relationships between God and people, only then could they heal relationships between each other.

Countless times we think that if we only had more money we could prevent problems from coming our way. We think money would not only allow us to enjoy a better life, but that it would allow us to enjoy life better. The sooner we get over the illusion that more stuff means a better life the better off we will be. Then we can pursue true treasure, a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus.

Jesus uses this opportunity to teach us in verse 15 that possessions do not give life its meaning. Desiring possessions can become a tyrant in our life filling us greed.

Jesus uses this interruption as an opportunity to teach His disciples where the focus should be as He warns them and us of the deceitfulness of riches. In a world as affluent as ours where everyone seem to be seeking more and more temporary and fleeting stuff the warning against greed has never been more needed. The Bible calls this pursuit of stuff greed.

What is greed or covetousness? Simply wanting more when we already have enough. Jesus said it is a sin of which we must be so careful. [The Greek word for covetous in 2 Timothy 3:2 is the same as “love of money (1 Tim. 6:10.] Jesus then tells a parable to explain why we need to guard against all kinds of greed [apparently there are many types of insatiable desires].

We ask ourselves, “Does life consist in the abundance of possessions?”

It sad to hear modern “Christian” movements promoting what might be called a “prosperity cult,” by teaching that gain is godliness. They emphasize that positive mental attitude, “visualization,” and faith that God wants this stuff for you, will make it happen. These teachers and their affluent lifestyles have deluded multitudes into thinking they have some sort of divine right to material prosperity.

You cannot find ultimate fulfillment or true riches in stuff because we never have enough stuff to satisfy us. Fallen man always desires more and more stuff. True fulfillment and the abundant life are found in and out of your relationship with God who grants us faith, hope, love, joy peace, and so much more. In Him life finds meaning, intense, multifaceted, genuine and abiding satisfaction.

What is more important to you: money or your relationship with God? Surely life consists in more that owning more stuff and making sure that we will always have earthly stuff.

Stuff Deposited / Received, v16-19

The parable illustrates the truth that “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

The abundance of the rich man’s harvest causes him to reflect on how he can keep even more of it for himself.

The man is blessed with abundance and he responds with self-congratulations and conversations with himself. Family, neighbors, and even God are all absent from his plans. The man believes that what he has is his and he can do with it just as he pleases. There is no hint of an awareness of stewardship or responsibility to God, His work or others.

Verse 18 demonstrates the greedy selfishness of the wealthy man. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the future or enjoying the fruit of all our hard work, but there is much wrong with selfishness. Although he already possess more than enough, he can think only of himself. This man determined to live a life of self-indulgent greed.

The foolish man imagines that his eternal soul can be satisfied with earthly food and drink.

After the rich man has hoarded his plenty he relaxes thinking his troubles are over. His attitude was that he would have an easy life because he had everything he could possibly want or need. He does not sense any responsibility toward anyone else but himself, certainly there is no consideration of what God would have him do.

Jesus indicates that we should use our energy to set aside treasures for eternity. We do that when we love others, stay in fellowship with God, and give of ourselves unselfishly. Don't spend your life searching for the almighty dollar, only to discover at the end that true riches come from trusting the Almighty.

Stuff’s Disposal, 20-21

Suddenly the voice of God thunders His response to the rich man’s actions.

God suddenly announces to the man that his earthly life is over. The man discovers that his life was on loan from God who was demanding His interest on the life He has loaned to him. God’s proclaims that the man was foolish because when he died that night his goods would do nothing for him. They would simply pass on to someone else.

The tragedy of this parable though lies not in what the rich man left behind, but in the judgment that awaited him, for he would enter judgment without any evidence of wise stewardship on earth. Rather than using some of his surplus to lay up treasures in heaven, he selfishly and greedily hoarded his world wealth with the result that in the end he does not even benefit from it. If you come to the end of your life and all you have is money, you die broke.

Their situation reminds me of people who spend a lifetime accumulating things while making no provision for eternity. They have material wealth but are spiritually poor.

Jesus underscores the tragedy of this miss-invested life as He closes the parable. A person who selfishly stores up treasure for himself is not rich with God. He has accumulated treasure with no thought of God or eternity. Possessions are not to be hoarded selfishly, but to be used to truly bless others.

It's true that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ-not by how much we talk about it. Yet it's strange when people think they're going to heaven but never mention it nor prepare for it.

The rich fool wasn't prepared. If you seldom think about heaven and never discuss it, could it be you're not going there? One way or another, you are going to meet God. Are you prepared?

This teaching points out the importance of proper priorities regarding possessions. Jesus was not saying possessions are bad but that we are responsible to use them to honor God by investing them in the cause of eternity. This man failed to recognize that he was accountable to God for all he owned. To be rich toward God is to acknowledge, through how we use our resources, that all we have comes from God.

We need to resist the lie that the more we possess the happier and more secure we will be. The person who believes that security and the good life are to be found in the acquisition of more and more is sadly mistaken. The true storing of treasures is being rich toward God not in being rich toward self.

CONCLUSION

What a tragic misuse of the gifts of resources that the man had labored so diligently to gain. What could have been an opportunity for stewardship became a mill stone around his neck. God has given us stuff not to possess, but to enjoy. Let not greed for that which is temporary keep you from that which is eternal.

Thus Jesus challenges the brother looking for personal economic justice to think on the greater issue of what he should do with what he does have. Whether the inheritance is under your control or under your brothers, it ultimately will belong to neither. Our wealth and our lives are on loan from God who will hold each accountable for them. Jesus’ disciples must learn not to be diverted from their commitment to Jesus by greed for wealth and material possessions. The message here is to go through life as a steward of all that God chooses to give you.